Railway.



No. 688,232. Patented Dec. 3, I901 W. L. BEACH.

RAILWAY.

(Application filed Feb. 21, 1899. Renewed May 2, 1901.)

C n n 11 I a n LIL n n (No ModeL) rrn STATES ATJENT Ormcn.

WILLIAM L. BEACH, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOJAMES R. TOWVNSEND, FRANCIS M. TOYVNSEND, AND \VILLIAM F. SOMERS, OF LOSANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,232, dated December3, 1901. Application filed February 21, 1899. Renewed May 2, 1901.Serial No. 58,548. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. BEACH, residing at Los Angeles, in thecounty of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Railways,of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to railways having metallic ties; and the object ofmy invent-ion is to provide an improved construction wherero by greaterlightness coupled with sufficient strength is secured, and also toprovide for conveniently removing and replacing rails.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention. 7

Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a railway embodying my invention, theballast being omitted for clearness of illustration. Fig. 2 isafragmental cross-section of a railway-track embodying my invention.Fig. 3 is a frag- 2o mental side elevation, omitting any ballast whichwould obstruct the view. Fig. 4c is a plan of a tie embodying myinvention. Fig. 5 is a plan of the tie-plate. Fig. 6 is a View of one ofthe rail-carrying I-blocks detached 2 5 from the tie-plate.

A indicates a metallic tie-plate which is preferably a plain flat plateof any desired width, thickness, and length. For example, the plate maybe six feet long, six inches wide, and from ahalf to three-quarters ofan inch thick or may be of any other dimensions desired.

B B-indicate two I-blocks which are fastened to the tie-plate byanysuitable means,

3 5 preferably by rivets O,which pass through the base-flanges b of theI-block and through the plate A. The I-block comprises a middle web I),with expanded base,as at b b, and expanded top, as at b b. Thebase-flanges b are per 0 forated with holes 1, and the tie-plate A isperforated with corresponding holes 2, which register with the holes 1of the base. The top flanges b" of the I-block are perforated with holes3 to receive the clamp-bolts D, the

heads d of which project on one side onlyof the bolt-body d, so thatwhen the bolt is turned around in its hole 3 into one position the head(Z will extend over the flange of the track-rail G, and when turned inthe other position there will be no projection extending over the flangeof the track-rail.

d" indicates nuts for the bolts D, and d indicates beveled washers tofit between the nuts and the sloping under faces of the flanges b.

F indicates the ballasting of the road.

The I-blocks are flat at top and bottom, the heel and base being inparallel planes and substantially duplicates of each other. Said blocksare perferably made reversible and invertible, so that they may beturned end for end and either side can be riveted to the tie and theother side will hold the rail. This can be done very easily by simplyrolling all of the flanges of the block substantially the same and thenpunching the holes in each flange in the same relative positions theretothat the holes occupy in the other flanges. This peculiarity ofstructure adds very much to the advantages possessed by the blocks, asno care need be exercised in assembling the partsas to how the blocksare put in position, for it is impossible to get them wrong.

Another advantage arising from my form of'I-block is in rigidly andpermanently securing it to the tie-plate in the factory by means ofrivets instead of trying to secure it in position on the road by meansof spikes. The latter method requires that the tie be of wood and thatthe base extend far enough beyond the top to permit of the retaining- 8ospikes being driven without danger of the hammer striking the topflanges. The rivets are cheaper than the spikes and can be made to holdthe I-block more securely in position with a narrower and less expensivebase than can be done with the spikes with a wider base.

In practice the plates and the I-blocks will be punched with holes withspecial relation to the size of rails and the width of track to be laid,and the I-blocks may be riveted to the plate at the factory orsubsequently, as desired. The I-blocks being attached to the tie-platesand the road-bed being graded, al lowance being made for a desirableamount of ballast above the tie-plate to give solidity 5 to the track,the tie-plates are laid in place with the I-blocks uppermost and at therequired distance apart. Then the rails are placed on top of theI-blocks and the bolts D inserted in their holes 3, and the washers dand nuts 01' are put in place and the nuts screwed home to bring theheads d of the bolts D against the flanges of the T-rail to firmly clampthe same to the top of the I block. The railsof the track arethusbroughtto exact gage, the holes being so arranged that the webs of the I-blocksare transverse the plate vertically beneath the webs of the T-rails whenthe same are set at the proper gage. The track is thus laid without anycare upon the part of the workmen with reference to the gage. \Vhen bothrails GG have thus been adjusted and fastened in place, the

' ballasting isproceeded with and the ballast is firmly tamped under thetie-plate and against the webs I) of the I-blocks and undertheflanges 1) thereof and is made to cover the tie-plate and the top ofthe top flanges of the I -blocks' and also the base-flanges of therails-in the ordinary manner, and the road is thus completed. When it isdesired to remove a rail, the ballast is removed to give access to thenuts 61', which are then loosened sufficiently to allow the heads d ofthe bolt to be turned about to free the flanges of the rail. Then therail can be removed, and when it or a substitute therefor is replacedthebolts can be turned to bring their heads over the flanges of thereplaced rail, and the nuts are again tightened. Then the ballastisreplaced and the track is thus repaired.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim asnew, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1'. An I-block for railways, the flanges of which are substantialduplicates of each other and are each perforated, the perforations ofthe upper flanges being. arranged to register with the edges of the baseof the rail.

2. An I-block for railways, the flanges of which are substantialduplicates of each other, and are each perforated; the perforations ofeach flange occupying the same relative position thereto that the otherperforations do to their respective flanges.

3. The combination, with a tie-plate; of an I-block rigidly andpermanently secured thereto, the flanges of the block being substantialduplicates of each other and each perforated, the perforations of thetop flanges being arranged to register'with. the edges of the base ofthe rail to be secured thereon.

4. The combination with a perforated tieplate; of a reversible andinvertible. l-block secured thereto, said-block having its flangessubstantial duplicates of eachother, and each flange being provided withperforations to register with the perforations in the tieplate.

5. The combination with the tie-plate to extend across the track, of areversible and invertible I-block fastened to the tie-plate, the web ofthe block being at right angles to the axis of the plate andthe headofthe block wider than the base of the T-rail and perforated with holes;bolts through the holes, each being provided with heads to fit over theflanges of the rail; and nuts for fastening the bolts in place.

\VILLIAM L. BEA OH.

Witnesses:

JAMES R. TOWNSEND, F. M. TowNsEND.

